How was camp, guys and gals?

chef · Post by **chef** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:36 am

All you that went to camp: how was it?

What did you learn?

Congrats on your first teaching experience at camp, Dana! I know it had to have been terrific, given that you were teaching. Give my regards to Heather as well.

Always,
Vicki

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:06 am

Camp was good.

I got a chance to hook up with Manny Neves - a powerful Uechi practitioner whom I paired up with for my godan test years back. Manny was very interested in learning the Fuzhou Suparinpei. Between him and a few other people at camp, I ended up having to give a few extra "personal" classes.

The Saturday night testing was fun. Believe it or not, I think Clarence did some of the better kata he's done in his life. He had a bit of trouble with the left (?) leg from the gunshot wound, but he moved well and was as precise as I've ever seen him.

Vinnie did a great Sanseiryu. The various things he's been adding to his kata over the last few years seem to be settling pretty well. And I don't believe I've ever seen anyone do such an advanced kata with an artificial hip. It was inspiring.

Carlos did an extra Shorin Ryu Sanchin and Shito Ryu Seisan after his requisite kata. They looked pretty close to the same I used to do back in my Goju days. He did them very well.

Some of the "usual suspects" did well on the Firedragon test. Fedele and the Munger brothers are becoming high-performing fixtures, and a few others qualified for the second year in a row. This was the first year we were able to give out patches and pins for the event. Since I had the scoring automated, we were able to announce results on the Saturday evening ceremony.

The wonderful seafood restaurant in town burned down. Our Thursday evening tradition was put to an end - for now.

Dave Young put on some fun seminars along with Roy Bedard. They spent quite a bit of time on firearm disarms, had people crawling across the fields on their bellies combat style, whacking on bags with their bodies and sticks, etc., etc. I was too busy being pulled in 4 different directions to spend too much time with them. But I had good one-on-one time with Roy, and did manage some LEO-style grappling time with Dave.

I forgot to mention that Jim Witherall tested Saturday evening as well. Fresh off a few broken arms and a broken leg from motorcyle fun, he did a fine performance. I'm still trying to get used to seeing someone like Jim do Sanseiryu with those spider-long legs and that unusual flexibility. It's definitely a one-of-a-kind interpretation.

The big boys took their tops off this year because a few of them like Vinny and Jim wanted to show off their hard work. Peer pressure forced the rest to join in. Vinny had lost a lot of weight, and looked the best I've seen him in years. Jim's thoracolumbar fascia (back muscules near spine) rippled in front of our eyes when he did his Sanchin thrusts to the rear. It was a fantastic display of the use of core muscles. (See following post for illustration.)

After the Saturday night ceremony, Jim and a buddy entertained us with a professional guitar and vocals performance. Both of them sounded great. I really like the timbre of Jim's voice. He forces his range (no surprise there...

), but manages to nail a few cover songs as well as anyone.

That's all I can remember for now. I had many wonderful private conversations with the usual people I see at camp. And there are always those other little dramas going on that will remain at camp.

- Bill

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:49 pm

Here's the illustration I promised in the post above concerning the thoracolumbar fascia.

Good karate starts with good use of core muscles. Sanchin should in its advanced levels be about teaching people how to generate energy in the core muscles and have it flow through the body to the extremities.

And if that makes no sense to you, just call it chi.

- Bill

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:08 am

It's worth mentioning that Dana Sheets has to be one of the most entertaining people to chat with "after hours." Yes, she's a great martial artist. Yes, she'll bust your chops on the Forums if you break bad or misbehave. But "the real Dana" has a most amazing sense of humor, and generally is one of the more easy going people you'll ever meet.

- Bill

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:58 am

Carlos did an extra Shorin Ryu Sanchin

Interesting , any idea of the lineage Bill ? what did it look like ... egads missed another camp eh

sounds like a great time .

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:34 pm

I don't know the exact lineage, Marcus. However I did note two differences from Miyagi Chojun style Sanchin:

He did not do a cross-over step in the turn as is done in the classic Goju Sanchin. Instead, he did the pivot turn like you see in Uechi Sanchin. This I found a bit odd. In order to make that "chudan uke" look/feel powerful, you need that pre-stretching twist with the legs. But instead, it comes across as looking like a feeler while getting off line.
He did not do palm heel strikes in the morote tsuki at the end. Instead, he did the classic Uechi boshiken hands. That too seemed a bit odd to me.

I talked with Carlos later on after the test to get a feel for the origin of these unique attributes. I wanted to get a feel for whether he made the changes to make the kata feel more "Uechi like", or one of his instructors did it for whatever reason. The music was loud (and good

) in the room and Carlos and I speak two different native tongues, so I didn't get the full story. I thought I heard him say Matsubayashi (as opposed to Kobayashi) lineage. And if my recollection is good, I believe he also told me that they started doing this form at sandan level in that style.

I'll see if we can't get some of our intermediaries to pose the questions, Marcus. I think it's worth some further study.

I know some folks got the test on video. I'll see if I can't get a copy and get a closer look. At some point, the kata performances may become available on the online store.

- Bill

f.Channell · Post by **f.Channell** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:19 pm

I have the performances on video but would need everyones okay to copy or release them. I hope to copy them for the guys who tested that I know.

I also had kind of a lousy angle and a person who kept laughing next to me

so it may not be that great. I haven't watched it yet.

F.

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:04 pm

Thanks Bill , it`s probably an import from Goju most likely , but it`s interesting to see the differences and from where they came .

Martial arts geeks huh

mhosea · Post by **mhosea** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:06 pm

Bill Glasheen wrote:I thought I heard him say Matsubayashi (as opposed to Kobayashi) lineage.

To the extent that there is any global standardization left in Matsubayashi (or any other style of karate), I can tell you that it must not have been Matsubayashi if it looked much like Uechi or Goju Sanchin. It is certainly possible that some Matsubayashi schools would incorporate a Sanchin-like kata into their training, but it would be exactly like importing Naihanchi Shodan into a Uechi curriculum.

SAN-DAI-RYU · Post by **SAN-DAI-RYU** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:48 pm

here video kata sanchin

http://www.shitokai.com/movies/sanchin.php

original kata is shorin ryu, line KYUDOKAN, Higa Family

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 5:47 am

thanks !!!! excellent

chef · Post by **chef** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:57 pm

I ended up last minute having to cancel camp due to personal issues with my famiy......but next year, I will be there with bells on doing a jig.

I already have two others from our school that have said they were going and are starting to save, as we speak. Marcus, I want to see you there.....you said you were going to try and go. Start socking away that money, boy (PS How is your Dad doing?).

Love you guys in and out of the dojo!

Regards,
Vicki

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:11 am

Hey Vicki hope everythings sorting itself out .

there is a couple folks I`d like to see moving in the flesh and camp would be a good oppurtunity .

, maybe if I can tie it together with other training and such ....

maybe next one , who knows , It has been discussed with some of the usuall suspects . I only get one major training trip a year , and to wait twelve months is a long way of for a drifter like me .

the old guy is enjoying his first week of retirement

f.Channell · Post by **f.Channell** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:58 pm

there is a couple folks I`d like to see moving in the flesh

Sorry, this is not a nude camp. Not during the regular hours anyway.

F.

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:12 pm

Fred, did you miss George's 6:30 AM nude Sanchin on the beach sessions?

What happens at camp remains at camp. And no cameras allowed!

- Bill